The Globe and Mail reported that pre-clinical data published in the Journal of Clinical Research indicate that even after the use of anesthetic drugs, even if the drug is terminated, it may still cause long-term cognitive dysfunction.
The researchers injected a certain dose of anesthetic to the mice to keep them calm and not coma. Although the exposure to anesthetics was very short, the mice showed cognitive impairment for at least a week. "We don't know what this means for patients," said co-author Orser, but she pointed out that one week is "a long time for the life of mice."
Orser said that the memory receptors located in the hippocampus of the brain are "extremely sensitive to narcotic drugs." She added, "One of the hypotheses we have been trying to prove is that once the drug fails, the function of these receptors will return to normal. Level... But there is no clinical manifestation that matches it yet."
It is currently known that diseases, inflammation, opioids, stress, and lack of sleep can also cause postoperative cognitive dysfunction during postoperative recovery. Orser said: “What we know now is that these effects on predetermined targets The drug itself is one of the chief culprits of memory loss."
Scientists are looking for various methods to reduce the potential cognitive side effects caused by general anesthesia. Orser pointed out that dexmedetomidine acts on a different type of receptor than drugs commonly used for general anesthesia, and the study found that the drug did not cause long-term memory loss.
Although medetomidine is less effective as an anesthetic, in some cases sedation is sufficient, or it can be used as an aid to general anesthesia, Orser said, "This allows us to reduce the dose of anesthetic."